


Lance and Keith’s guide for how to cure insomnia

by crystalklances



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Compliant, Falling In Love, Fluff, Getting Together, Insomnia, Klance Reverse Bang 2018, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed, Sleeping Together, Smitten Keith (Voltron), Soft Keith (Voltron), Soft Keith/Lance (Voltron), Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Touch-Starved Keith (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 12:13:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14401923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crystalklances/pseuds/crystalklances
Summary: Keith has always had trouble sleeping, but never told anyone. When they fall asleep together after a mission by chance, Lance finds out and offers to share his bed to help Keith fall asleep. However, sleeping together every night has unforeseen side-effects for both of them.





	Lance and Keith’s guide for how to cure insomnia

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my contribution to the Klance Reverse Bang 2018! I got to write a short story for the beautiful artwork by [jaybele](http://jaybele.tumblr.com/). I had a lot of fun writing this concept, even if I struggled with writers block throughout and mild burnout around the end of the year. I hope you will like the result!
> 
> Link to the artwork will be in the end notes.

Keith never knew what the reason for his insomnia was.

After so much time passed, he defeatedly accepted the fact that he’s a light sleeper at best, tossing and turning without being able to catch a single wink of sleep at worst. He never tried to treat it, either, nor spoke about it to anyone on the team, even despite knowing that if he keeps up like this, it could jeopardize everyone. Sometimes, he tries tricks like meditation, to at least achieve a sense of peace of mind. Other times, when it got particularly worse, he leaves for the training deck, exercising to the point of utter exhaustion, which would finally knock him out when he goes back to bed. He knows that it probably isn’t the best strategy, but it _works_ , at least to a certain degree.

Sometimes, though, he _does_ wonder about what the reason behind everything is, even if he’s reluctant to ask for help. In the end, he assumes that it’s just a heightened sense of approaching threats, the need to be combat-ready at all times, maybe due to his time alone in the desert. He never thought that it could be more than _just_ that—that the reason could be more intimate.

Ironically, he finds out by mere coincidence.

One time, Keith and Lance are on a solo mission. They succeed, of course; they are a good team, after all. But it’s exhausting, with a lot of risky maneuvers and heavy fire. When they come back to the Castle of Lions, they get changed out of their paladin armors and go to sit in the lounge room. They meant to just sit and wind down while waiting for the others to return from their own missions.

Things don’t go as planned, though.

Keith remembered laughing at a story Lance told to pass the time. The next thing he knows, he’s blinking his eyes open and feeling the sensation of a warm body half on top of him, limbs tangled with his own. With his sight focusing as he’s blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he can see the mop of soft, brown curls, knowing instantly that it’s Lance. It should be weird, waking up with Lance’s head resting on his chest, one of his arms around Lance while the other is linked with Lance’s at an angle. Lance’s legs between his, while one of Keith’s is bent at the knee, ankles crossed above Lance’s leg, the other half-hanging off the couch. But all Keith can think of is how _safe_ he feels.

He tries to stretch his legs and can’t stop himself from letting out a laugh. He feels so relaxed and _well rested_. “Holy shit.”

His movement and voice prompt Lance to stir. Lance lifts his head, blinking up at Keith with his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion—or sleepiness—at Keith’s grinning face. “You disturbed my beauty sleep, mullet,” he mumbles through a yawn. “What got you so excited, anyway?”

In his excitement, Keith doesn’t think much about it when he replies, “I don’t even remember falling asleep, but this was probably the best sleep I ever had. Or at least in a long time.”

“Huh?” Lance blinks again. His expression is still confused, but there’s a hint of worry now. “Are you trying to tell me you haven’t been sleeping this whole time?”

“Kinda? I’ve been dealing with insomnia for a while.”

“What? And you never thought to _tell_ anyone?” Lance looks scandalized now, his tone chastising. “This isn’t a light topic! It’s a serious thing on any normal day, but we’re at war in the middle of space!”

“I mean, it worked out so far,” Keith points out. “I didn’t wanna bother anyone just because I have trouble sleeping.”

“But we could’ve tried to _help_ you! Coran could’ve put together some kind of medication for you if all else fails, like he did for me. We’re a _team_ , we’re _supposed_ to help each other!”

“Well, I mean, I slept pretty safe and soundly now,” Keith says with a half-shrug. “It’s weird, though. This is kinda uncomfortable, but I can’t remember ever feeling so safe and comfortable when I woke up.”

“I’m not surprised, considering you’ve lived alone in the desert for a year,” Lance remarks. Then, his face looks like there’s a cartoon lightbulb above his head. “Holy crow. Could it be—you poor thing.”

“What? Could it be _what_? Why are you calling me a poor thing?”

“You’re _touch-starved_ , aren’t you?” Lance whispers. He disentangles one arm and reaches out to cup Keith’s cheek. “How does this feel?”

Keith tries to give a reasonable answer, but for a moment, he can’t speak at all. He’s so hyper-aware of Lance’s soft fingers on his cheek. It feels like he’s on fire, but it’s not in a _bad_ way: it’s just so amplified, it’s such a simple gesture, but it makes his skin tingle, makes his whole body feel warm. Finally, he breathes out, “I’m on fire. You’re making me explode, Lance.”

“It really is a bad case, oh man.” Lance pulls his hand back and sits up slowly.

Keith inhales and exhales slowly, then mimics Lance. “What’s that supposed to mean? How is that connected to my insomnia, anyway?” Keith probes.

“Didn’t you know? Touch-starvation can _cause_ insomnia!” Lance explains. “It’s pretty interesting, actually. Because humans are a pack species, if we’re lonely, our brain reacts to it and doesn’t shut down for proper sleep because we feel unsafe without anyone there with us so we can watch each other’s backs and feel protected.”

Huh. The more you know… all of this makes perfect sense to Keith. Now that he thinks about it, that really might be the reason why. “You know a lot about the topic,” he comments.

“Ah, well, I read an article about it before,” Lance says with a shrug. “It made perfect sense to me, considering that growing up, I always slept like a baby because I have such a big family. I actually sleep a little less well when I’m away from my family, but I’m able to cope well enough because I know how to get casual touches when I need them, or how to imitate the effect of it when there’s no one around. Anyway, considering you’ve been all alone for so long, it’s no wonder that this happened to you.”

“So, I know now that my brain is hardwired into constant alertness because I have no one to watch my back nor for me to watch theirs,” Keith concludes. “So what do I do about that now?”

“Well, duh? You sleep in my bed!”

“Wait, what?”

“You sleep in my bed,” Lance repeats. “We cuddle to fill up your intimacy-bank—and to make sure mine doesn’t go into minus, either. And even if you’re not up for cuddling, just sharing the bed at close proximity will be enough.”

Keith blinks, taking the offer in. Then, he offers a small smile. “Okay. I guess we can try that out,” he says. “Thank you, Lance.”

“No problem!” Lance grins. “Always happy to help out a friend. But uh, I guess for now we should go look for the others and report back about the mission. I’m surprised no one tried to look for us yet.”

“Yeah, you’re right. We can figure out the rest later.”

 

The next time the castle ship enters the night cycle, Keith gets ready for bed, then walks over to Lance’s room. When he enters, Lance is just shrugging out of the silky dressing gown he often wears over his pajamas. Keith kicks off his boots and then takes off his jacket to hang it on the hook by the door. Then, he’s unsure what to do and just watches as Lance picks up a small plush shark from his bed to place it on the console behind the bed, right next to his beauty products. Keith wonders where he got the plush shark, and if Lance is sleeping with it when he’s on his own. The thought is endearing.

Keith takes in how Lance has customized the room. On the wall behind the console, there’s a small poster with a star as well as some notes and a banner. The most notable detail, though, are the strings of star-lights hanging from the ceiling above the bed. Keith wonders if he got them from a planet they visited, or if he found them in the castle, or if he made them himself with supplies and material from the castle. Keith wouldn’t be surprised if they’re hand-made. Now that he thinks of it, maybe the same applies for the plush shark.

Perhaps prompted by the lack of moves or words from Keith, Lance turns around to look at him. He frowns as he’s giving Keith a once-over. “Aren’t you gonna change?” Lance asks.

“Huh?”

“Your pajamas! Aren’t you gonna change into them? Where are they?”

“I never wear them,” Keith admits.

“What? Are you serious?” Lance sounds appalled. “That’s gonna change. Like hell am I gonna let you in my bed wearing _your everyday clothes_. Either you’re wearing the pajamas, or no cuddles!”

Keith sighs in defeat. He doesn’t point out there’s still the option that he could just strip down. He doesn’t want to get into an argument right before bedtime. “Fine, I’m gonna go get them,” he says, already leaving the room without bothering to put his boots back on.

When he grabs the pajamas from the closet in his room, his eyes also fall on the red lion slippers—a matching pair to the ones Lance is always wearing. He shrugs and after he gets changed, slips his feet into them for the walk back to Lance’s room, even if it’s just a door over.

Once he’s back in Lance’s room, he finds Lance sitting on the bed. Keith walks up to join him. He’s fidgeting with his knife, suddenly feeling a little nervous. This is completely new. And sure, he knows that it’s supposed to help him, that it _did_ before, but that was a lucky accident, wasn’t it? What if Keith can’t handle the change? It’s not that he doesn’t trust Lance, but…

He looks at Lance, trying to find words to voice his concerns, but finds that Lance is giving him another _look_. Brought off concept, Keith asks, “What is it _now_?”

“Why did you bring your knife?” Lance asks instead of giving a reply.

“Why did I—? Uh, well...” Keith continues fidgeting as he replies. “I always have it with me, you know? It’s, it’s important to me. I’m not sure if I can sleep without having it nearby.”

“Ah. Okay.” Lance nods. “But, uh, can you put it on the console along with my stuff? Don’t wanna risk either of us getting hurt, right?”

“Yeah. Sure.” He leans over behind Lance’s back to put the knife down between the cosmetics articles and plush shark. Then, he faces Lance again. “So, uh, how is this gonna work, exactly?” he asks.

“Well, we lay down, and depending on what you’re up to, we cuddle or just lay next to each other,” Lance replies.

Keith takes a moment of thought before he replies, “Uh, the cuddling earlier was nice I guess, but maybe start slow?”

“That’s fine, whatever you’re comfortable with,” Lance says with an encouraging smile. He claps his hands. “Well, let’s get to it, then. Off we go under the covers!”

Keith’s lips tug up. “Okay.”

He gets comfortable and Lance pulls the blanket over the both of them. Keith is lying on his back, but he turns his head to the side to glance at Lance. His eyes are closed, and already, his breathing is starting to even out. Lucky him. Keith wonders how long it will take him to fall asleep. He looks up at the star-decked ceiling for a minute, just listening to the soft sound of Lance’s breathing, taking in how their body warmth mingles underneath the blanket, steady and comfortable.

Keith closes his eyes. His breathing is relaxed and deep. It takes a few moments, but slowly, he starts drifting into unconsciousness. He’s only barely aware of the stirring next to him.

When he wakes up again, it’s to the uncomfortable, heavy feeling of numbness in his left arm.

Keith blinks his eyes open. It feels like barely any time has passed, but he can tell from the change of lighting in the room, from the dimmed stars on the ceiling, that the castle has entered the daytime cycle. He lifts his good arm to rub the sleep from his eyes. Then, he tries to see what’s wrong with the other arm.

He finds that, apparently, Lance has rolled over to cling to his arm, half on top of him, much like when they fell asleep on the couch. Keith breathes out a “Huh,” as he glances down at Lance’s face, his cheeks smushed against Keith’s shoulder and a hint of drool at the corner of his lips. It looks _ridiculous_ and Keith _so_ knows that he will be able to tease Lance about it, but a large part of his mind can’t turn away from the fact that the sight is utterly _cute_. He can’t remember ever seeing the blue paladin so still and peaceful, no cocky act, no jokes and laughter, just raw openness, showing himself in his most vulnerable state.

Keith wonders if his own walls will ever be brought down enough that he can show himself asleep in front of someone else, in an intimate setting like this, without feeling at least a sliver of discomfort. Because as much as he finds he enjoys sharing such close space with Lance, his warm body and touch comforting—even if his arm feels like death right now—both times so far, Keith has been the one to wake up first, and to fall asleep last. He feels a small shiver run down his spine at the thought of _Lance_ waking up before him.

To distract himself from the thought—and because his arm _really_ is uncomfortable—Keith reaches out with his right arm to poke Lance’s cheek, trying to wake him up. He has to hold back laughter at Lance’s muffled whine of protest. He can’t say that he succeeds the same for the fond grin playing on his lips, though.

Lance finally stirs and blinks his eyes open, blinking up at Keith. “Hey,” he says through a yawn. “How did you sleep?”

“Pretty good, I think,” Keith replies. “Didn’t wake up a single time before now. I think this really is working.”

Lance smiles. “That’s good.” There’s a pause as he seems to become aware of his position. Keith watches as he scrambles to let go of Keith’s arm, then sitting up and clearing his throat. “Uh, sorry about that. I know we said no cuddling for now, but I guess it’s a habit when I share the bed with someone.” He laughs sheepishly. “Always happened with my mom and my siblings and my niece and nephew.”

Keith sits up as well. He offers a smile to show that he doesn’t feel upset with Lance. “It’s okay. I guess we can cuddle right away next time, if it helps you too.”

“I don’t _need_ to cuddle to sleep.” Lance huffs. “But okay. That sounds nice. I can show you how spooning works.”

“Alright.”

They sit for a moment, neither saying a word or making a move. Keith remembers his knife on the console. He reaches out to take it. Lance is watching him. Another moment passes before Keith says, “Uh, I guess I’ll go get dressed.”

“Okay.”

Keith shifts over and pulls his legs over the side of the mattress, feet seeking for the lion slippers he knows are near the end of the bed. He stands and turns around to face Lance. “I’ll see you at breakfast?”

Lance snorts a laugh at the way he voiced it like a question. “Yeah, I’m not gonna skip that.”

Keith nods. He walks over to the door, ready to leave. But right as he opens it, he’s called back. “Uh, Keith?”

He turns to glance over his shoulder to see Lance pointing with an amused look.

“You forgot your boots and jacket, since you didn’t bring them back to your room last night,” Lance explains.

“Oh. Yeah, you’re right. Thanks.” He retrieves them. Before he steps out, he says, “See you at breakfast, then.”

“Yeah, see you.”

Keith walks over to his room, finally really taking in how relaxed he feels after a full night’s sleep. The results of insomnia, especially when it lasted for a long time, aren’t gonna fade away so easily, but Keith can already feel an effect. He feels _good_. He wonders how much better he will be when he continues sharing Lance’s bed.

***

As time passes, Keith finds himself changing.

His performance in the training deck has always been great, but now, his senses seem to be sharper than ever. He practically _destroys_ the bots, his blade slicing through the metal like they’re butter, over and over. He can master a lot more levels before tiring out. It’s amazing, what undoing the work of insomnia can do for you.

Aside from physical changes, his mood is affected, as well. Keith feels a lot less on edge, less likely to snap. His patience increased immensely. Even in social situations, he feels at ease, a lot more likely to join in with random comments and laughing more openly than before. It’s like he’s becoming a whole new person—or maybe becoming who he’s always been, but buried deep inside with no energy to bring it to the surface.

Then there’s Lance. Or, more specifically, how their bond changes.

At first, they fall asleep in silence after wishing each other good night. Lance always falls asleep first, and Keith just lays there waiting for sleep to grab him, too; inching closer, into Lance’s arms and wrapping his own around him in turn, instead of waiting for Lance to inevitably cling to him like a koala while he sleeps. Feeling Lance against his body, feeling his weight in his arms, the way Lance’s face nuzzled against the crook of his neck or into his hair, _feeling Lance’s heartbeat and his even breathing right against him_... it makes Keith feel so safe, so _at home_ , like he never felt before. Sure, sometimes his arms still become numb, and sometimes Lance even drools all over his shoulder, but Keith loves this. He doesn’t want to go to sleep without Lance anymore. The sensation of Lance’s touch, slowly, turned from an all-consuming burn to a pleasant tingle all over his body, and Keith wants to chase the feeling whenever he can, seeking out casual touches even throughout the day, now bold to do it with his new-found, rested energy.

Then, as they grow more and more comfortable with each other as they sleep together, they start to chat before drifting off. About family, about what they miss about Earth, what they love in space, dreams and ambitions, any random thing that comes to mind … Most of the time, it’s Lance who talked, but Keith opens up, slowly, as well. If Lance trusts him to willingly offer such intimacy in the first place, if Keith trusts Lance enough to agree to such intimacy… then surely Keith could trust Lance enough to let down some of his walls, let him have a look at what’s inside Keith, too.

He trusts Lance, as a teammate, as a friend. He doesn’t mind the thought of sharing his entire life, as well.

That thought has been on his mind more and more often, lately, as the days go on, as their shared nights pile up, as they grow so attuned in the mindmeld and bonding exercises that everyone is in awe. Keith is still puzzling over where that thought came from, though.

One night, Keith comes back from a post-dinner training session which ended up longer than expected because he got so into the zone. He already got ready for bed when taking his shower, pajamas and slippers included.

When he enters Lance’s bedroom, he finds him propped up on one elbow, half against the pillow, half against the wall. He’s reading some magazine he found on a planet they were on recently. When Keith’s presence becomes apparent, Lance looks up, and there’s a pout on his face. “How nice of you to show up,” Lance says. “You almost made me think you wouldn’t join me tonight.”

“What, and miss out on our pajama party pillow talk? Or you drooling on me? Wouldn’t dream of it,” Keith replies as he walks up to the bed. He slips out of the slippers, then joins Lance under the covers. He suppresses a yawn as he continues, “I was so caught up in the training deck I didn’t notice time passing at all. You wouldn’t believe how much energy I have since we started sleeping together.”

He doesn’t lose any time to scoot right in the middle of the bed, arms open and ready to wrap around Lance. In return, Lance puts the magazine away and scoots closer, as well. The pout remains on his lips for a tick longer—likely because of the jab at him drooling—but it soon makes way for a smile, accompanied with a twinkle in his deep blue eyes. Lance reaches out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Keith’s ears. “You know that sleeping with your hair still damp is bad, right?” Lance comments.

Keith shrugs. “Never had any problems.”

“If you say so.”

Lance’s arm now moves to wrap around Keith’s chest like it’s second nature. Without thinking about it, Keith’s own arm sneaks around Lance’s waist. Their faces are so close together, it would be so easy to lean in and kiss Lance right on the lips. But Keith holds himself back; it would be a weird thing to do. No matter how intimate they are now, he knows it’s just friends helping each other out. Kissing might overstep a boundary, cross into unspoken territory, not charted on any map because it hasn’t been explored before, full of mystery to Keith.

But, god, Keith wants to do it, wants to feel Lance’s lips move against his own as their breaths mingle. They already look so impossibly velvety-soft, and just imagining how soft they must _feel_ based on his experience with Lance’s skin on his hands and body… it’s enough to set Keith on fire all over again, just like the first time Lance touched his cheek. The tingle in his skin from the contact of Lance’s arms around him and his own around Lance, the proximity of their bodies with barely a few inches of space between them, the mental images—the mix of it all flares up into a feeling of heat inside Keith. The sensation spreads through every nerve of Keith’s body, coiling somewhere deep in his stomach. Keith has to take a deep breath and focus on the vibrant royal blue of Lance’s eyes to dispel the thoughts, lest something embarrassing happens in his lower regions.

“So how does your training go?” Lance asks, blissfully unaware of what’s going on inside of Keith. “What level are you on by now?”

“Honestly? I have no idea,” Keith replies. “I kinda lost track. I always just waltz through now without paying attention to the numbers.”

“I hope you leave some bots for the rest of us,” Lance mock-scolds.

“How about you join me next time?” Keith offers with a grin.

“Hey, are you implying that I’m not training?” Lance feigns offence. “I may not be as obsessed as you are, but just because you don’t see me, doesn’t mean I don’t train.”

Keith breathes a laugh at the display. “So is that a yes or a no?”

“I’ll think about it.”

Keith shrugs. “Guess that’s good enough for now.” He holds back a yawn. “But speaking of, I’m kinda tired now that we’re cuddling. I’d say we cut the talking and go right to the part where you drool all over my shoulder.”

Lance lets out a whine. “Oh, come on! You act like I do that on purpose!”

“I’m just teasing, you know. If I minded, do you think I’d still do this?” When Lance shakes his head, Keith smiles. “Now come on, lights off, time to sleep.” As if on command, the lights in the room dim, save for the dangling stars shining above them.

Lance nestles closer, face nuzzling into Keith’s hair falling into the crook of his neck. “Good night, Keith,” he murmurs, his breath fanning over Keith’s skin above the collar of his pajamas. The sensation nearly makes Keith lose his composure all over again.

“Good night, Lance,” Keith murmurs in return. He resists the urge to kiss Lance’s hair.

As he closes his eyes, as he’s right on the brink of drifting off, Keith finds himself thinking that maybe, just maybe—he might be falling in love with Lance.

***

Lance doesn’t know what’s happening to him.

Lately, he’s feeling so _tired_. Sometimes, it’s taking him long past his morning skincare routine to feel fully alert. His focus is all over the place, more so than normal. Keeping his train of thought in order takes more energy, as does keeping his attention on the task at hand when training. The buzzing in his head doesn’t even entirely go away with help of the substitute medication Coran was able to produce for him with help of Hunk and Pidge.

His sleep has been growing less and less restful as time goes on. He’s started to have trouble falling asleep, too. But that doesn’t make any sense. Even when all he had was his plush shark, it wasn’t that bad. It even got much easier again when he started sharing the bed with Keith! So what’s wrong so suddenly?

It definitely can’t be that he dislikes Keith, or that he hates sharing the bed with him. One, he never hated Keith, and if he was uncomfortable with him, then Lance wouldn’t have offered, no matter how much he loves caring for his team. That’s even precisely the thing; he loves nurturing his teammates, and that’s precisely what he’s been doing with Keith this whole time, by making the offer. Two, he is, in fact, _very comfortable_ with Keith. Ever since they have started sleeping together, they have grown closer and closer. Especially when they started talking before saying good night and Keith started opening up. Knowing that Keith lets his walls down around Lance, _for Lance_ out of everyone on the ship, it fills him with warmth. It makes him feel important, that he’s doing the right thing, that he’s doing a good job at being there for the team.

And holding Keith, _being held by_ him, feeling his strong heartbeat and the warmth radiating from his body—it makes him feel as safe and warm as only his mother’s hugs could do.

Taking all these facts together, there should be no reason why he suddenly can’t sleep. He should be sleeping peacefully and blissfully, better than ever before in his whole life. So _what’s wrong with him_? Is something on his mind, causing him to tense up, but he’s not aware of the root because it has yet to reach his conscious thought? He might need to do some soul-searching soon.

One night, when Lance comes to his room, he finds that Keith is already in bed. Usually, Lance is the one to be in bed first and thus lie by the wall, as Keith often likes training before bed time. But after the rough mission they had that day, Lance needed an extensive spa session to relax and unwind. Apparently, he lost track of time so much that he took longer than even Keith’s excessive training sessions. Maybe he just really needed it.

Keith is facing the wall, his breathing sounds even and calm. Lance smiles to himself at the thought that by now, Keith’s insomnia is so much better that he’s even able to fall asleep on his own. As silently as he can, Lance discards his silky bathrobe, then slips into bed next to Keith.

He’s lying on his back, fingers loosely grasped around the edge of the blanket, and stares up at the ceiling of the room illuminated softly by the warm, golden light of his strings of stars and the castle’s turquoise emergency lights.

He’s been trying to figure out the reason for his sudden trouble sleeping. And now he comes to a conclusion: maybe the reason he can’t sleep is _precisely_ because he feels so good when cuddling with Keith. That he loves it a lot more than explaining it as _just_ friends helping each other out. Because this feels _so, so good_ , but so much different than any of the platonic bedsharing he’s had in his life so far.

Keith is _very_ handsome, that’s just a fact. He’s got beautiful indigo eyes. He’s kinda hot-headed and rough-edged, but also very cute. He has a soft side that he’s been showing to Lance more and more often, to the point that it’s what he readily exposes the moment they’re all alone. He’s passionate and protective, extremely caring of the team, though in a different way than Lance is, more active rather than nurturing. They are opposites in many ways, yet also very similar. Two sides of one coin, two pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly together. Their competitiveness drives them to constantly bring out the best in each other.

Lance comes to the conclusion that Keith would be an ideal boyfriend, in his eyes. That he might be in love with Keith. And that thought is a little scary. Not because he’s scared of entering a relationship, or because it’s weird to fall in love with _Keith_ , his rival, no; he doesn’t know what to do with this revelation. He could tell Keith, of course, but… what if Keith rejects him? What if a confession would ruin what they have now? That they’d end up in awkward distance, now _both of them_ unable to sleep, jeopardizing the team and the missions in many different ways?

Of course, he can’t know what would happen unless he tries, but… for now he would wait. Maybe, if it’s meant to be, something will happen. If not, he’ll enjoy what they have now as best as he can, hoping that he can push aside his longing, that things won’t become awkward even as he stays silent. That his pining won’t make it even harder to sleep, that just the realization of his budding feelings for Keith will be enough to calm his mind so he can return to blissful sleep together with him.

He breathes in and out, slowly, repeating for a few times. Finally, he rolls over to slot his chest against Keith’s back, arms wrapping around him. His hand searches for Keith’s heartbeat. There’s movement as Keith’s hand moves away from where it rested on the pillow and fingers intertwine with Lance’s. For a heartstopping moment, Lance thinks that Keith woke up. But his breathing remains even, the sigh he lets out in his sleep is soft, barely audible. Lance sighs as well. He nuzzles against Keith’s hair in the nape of his neck, breathes in the tangy scent of his body wash. At last, he closes his eyes.

Hopefully, sleep will come for him. Hopefully, there will be a happy turn of events for both him and Keith.

***

Keith wonders if maybe, with time going on, his feelings will diminish, that he will truly get used to the touch. After all, he doesn’t have the same sensations with the others, not anymore, and it was never quite the same as with Lance.

But he’s wrong. He’s very wrong.

The flame burning in his skin doesn’t die down. Instead, it burns stronger than ever, fed steadily by the longing in his chest. Every night, he falls asleep gazing into Lance’s eyes, memorizing all his features, the feel of his body against his own. Every night, he falls in love over and over.

He never thought this was possible. He never thought he could hold these feelings. It’s a little suffocating, at first. The Keith just mere weeks prior would have run away, sealed the feelings deep inside his soul, never to let them come to the light of day. But now, Keith’s walls are shrinking down, pulled down stone by stone, granting Lance access to his hidden self. And he wants to let Lance in _all the way_ , let him have all of him. It’s still scary, sure. There’s a chance that Lance rejects him, that Keith loses yet another person important to him. But Keith doesn’t want to push people away first anymore. He’s so full of affection he wants to share it, just like how Lance has shown time and time again how he shares his emotions with everyone.

Just the casual touches during the day, the cuddling at night, it’s not enough. Keith wants to give everything. And even with his touches becoming bolder, with his fond looks becoming more and more open, Lance doesn’t shy away. It’s giving Keith hope that everything will be alright.

But something else is worrying him. He can’t help but notice that Lance’s shine seems duller, that his focus is divided, that he’s full of nervous energy. He seems tired.

What’s wrong with Lance? Is he unable to sleep? Is this because they’re sleeping together? It can’t be that Lance doesn’t want to do this anymore, right? Lance is an honest person, he would tell Keith if he didn’t like it. So what’s wrong, then? Keith wants to know, and he wants to help fix it if he can in any way.

And so, Keith resolves that he will ask Lance.

One night, he cuts his evening training short to make sure there would be enough time to talk. When he joins Lance, Lance is only just taking off his silky bathrobe. He seems surprised at seeing him so early, maybe also because of Keith’s determined look.

Keith sits down on the edge of the bed rather than getting comfortable like he normally does. Lance sits down next to him, air of surprise still tangible around him.

For a moment, there’s silence. Then, Keith asks, “Can we talk?”

Lance raises an eyebrow. “We talk every night,” he says.

“Yeah, I know. But I mean…” he trails off and pauses. “Are you okay?”

“Sure,” Lance says. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You’re… tired, lately,” Keith says, slowly. “Do you have trouble sleeping? If you’re uncomfortable with letting me sleep with you, you should tell me.”

“That’s not it,” Lance says. He doesn’t meet Keith’s eye. “I’m not uncomfortable.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“I’m not uncomfortable,” Lance repeats. “I can’t sleep because, because I _love_ cuddling with you. I love it so much that the more time passes, the more it consumes my thoughts and then my brain doesn’t shut down anymore. I can’t stop thinking about you and how much I like being with you and want to be with you for a long, long time.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything?” Keith asks.

“Because, I don’t know!” Lance finally looks at him. “I didn’t want to make things weird.”

Keith points out, “In case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t exactly been subtle about my own feelings.”

“Still!” Lance waves his arms before hiding his face behind his hands. “I don’t know! Maybe I don’t always want to be the one making a step!”

“Uh huh.”

Keith resists the urge to kiss Lance’s fingertips, or to gently pull them apart to coax Lance to look at him. He waits patiently until Lance peeks out from in between. He smiles, only widening when Lance gives a flustered giggle.

When Lance finally pulls his hands away from his face, he clears his throat and asks, “So, anyway, uh… did we just establish that we like each other?”

“I guess we did.”

“So… then what now?”

“We keep doing what we’ve been doing the whole time?” Keith suggests. “And hopefully, now you’ll be able to fall asleep like in the beginning.”

“I sure hope so too. I need my beauty sleep!” Lance whines. He flops sideways behind Keith’s back. “Plus, it’s not fair that I’ve helped cure your insomnia by reducing your touch-starvation and then end up with insomnia in reverse.”

“Life isn’t always fair, Lance. And besides, you’re already beautiful.” Keith turns around so he can lie down as well. At the same time, he pulls the blanket over the both of them.

Lance is pouting at him before he’s finally smiling, a gleam in his blue, blue eyes. “So… since we’ve established that we both like each other… does that mean good night kisses?” he raises an eyebrow. “Releasing all those lovey-dovey feelings is bound to help me stop thinking.”

Keith chuckles. “I’m not gonna say no to that. Even without your scientific explanation.”

However, even despite saying that, for a moment, they just stare at each other. But, finally, they move forward. Keith has no idea who made the first move, and it doesn’t matter. What matters is that Lance’s lips are so much softer than he’s imagined. Their lips fit perfectly together, like they’ve always been meant to kiss each other. The kiss remains chaste and short, and when they part, they break out into soft laughter as they dazedly gaze into each other’s eyes.

“Time for sleep?” Keith prompts after a moment.

“Time for sleep,” Lance agrees. “Hopefully my brain will shut up now because I know that I’m _with you_.”

“Hopefully.” Like every night, Keith wraps his arms around Lance, and Lance does the same. “Good night, Lance.”

“Good night, Keith.”

Keith doesn’t close his eyes right away, knowing that he would drift off too soon. He wants to make sure that Lance is falling asleep first. When Lance’s breathing finally evens out, Keith closes his eyes and snuggles even closer with a sigh.

With the knowledge that they will both get a good night of sleep, and the knowledge that _Lance is his boyfriend now_ and _he is Lance’s boyfriend_ , Keith’s rest is sweeter than ever.

**Author's Note:**

> Link to the artwork:  
> [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh4vuVildP4/)  
> [Tumblr](http://jaybele.tumblr.com/post/173203420940)
> 
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